Eryngium foetidum

Eryngium foetidum is a tropical perennial herb in the family Apiaceae. Common names include culantro (Costa Rica and Panama) ( or ), cimarrón, recao (Puerto Rico), chardon béni (Martinique), Mexican coriander, samat, ban dhaniya, wide coriander, Burmese coriander, sawtooth coriander, Shadow Beni (Trinidad and Tobago), and ngò gaicode: vie promoted to code: vi (Vietnam). It is native to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America, but is cultivated worldwide, mostly in the tropics as a perennial, but sometimes in temperate climates as an annual. In India it is called "Nagadhonia", specifically in the Northeast. In the United States, the common name culantro sometimes causes confusion with cilantro, a common name for the leaves of Coriandrum sativum (also in Apiaceae but in a different genus), of which culantro is said to taste like a stronger version.

Description

A herb. It grows 15-50 cm high. It has one stem. The leaves are all near the base of the plant. The leaves are 7-15 cm long by 1-2 cm wide. The leaves have teeth along the edge. The flower head is oval. It is 5-8 mm long by 3-4 mm wide. The flowers are greenish-white. The fruit is almost round and 2 mm across.

Edible Uses

Eryngium foetidum is widely used in seasoning, marinating and garnishing in the Caribbean (particularly in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico, and Trinidad and Tobago), as well as Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia and in Brazil's and Peru's Amazon regions. It is also used extensively as a culinary herb in the North-Eastern States of India (Tripura, Mizoram, Meghalaya, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim), Cambodia [where it is called Chi Banla, Chi baraing ជីរបន្លា, ជីរបារាំង], Thailand, India, Nepal, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Bangladesh, southwestern China and other parts of tropical Asia. It is sometimes used as a substitute for coriander leaves, but has a stronger, tangier taste. Unlike coriander, Eryngium foetidum dries well, retaining good color and flavor, which makes it valuable in the dried herb industry. In the United States, E. foetidum grows naturally in Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. The flower heads are not edible.

Traditional Uses

It is used in curries. The leaves are chopped and eaten raw in some dishes. They are mostly used to flavour cooked dishes. They are used in stir fries. The leaves are pickled and used to make chutney. The roots are used as a flavouring in soups and meat dishes. The seeds are used as a flavouring. The harvested leaves can be stored for 5 days.

Medicinal Uses

Eryngium foetidum has been used in traditional medicine in tropical regions for burns, earache, fevers, hypertension, constipation, fits, asthma, stomachache, worms, infertility complications, snake bites, diarrhea, and malaria. Eryngium foetidum is also known as E. anti­hysteri­cum. The specific name anti­hysteri­cum reflects the fact that this plant has traditionally been used for epilepsy. The plant is said to calm a person's 'spirit' and thus prevents epileptic 'fits', so is known by the common names spiritweed and fitweed. The anticonvulsant properties of this plant have been scientifically investigated. A decoction of the leaves has been shown to exhibit anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects in rats. Eryngial (trans-2-dodecenal) is the main constituent of essential oil of E. foetidum. The University of the West Indies at Mona, Jamaica, has investigated the use of eryngial as a treatment for human Strongyloides stercoralis infection (strongyloidiasis). It is used as an ethnomedicinal plant for the treatment of a number of ailments such as chills, vomiting, burns, fevers, hypertension, headache, earache, stomachache, asthma, arthritis, snake bites, scorpion stings, diarrhea, malaria and epilepsy. A pharmacological investigation claims to have demonstrated anthelmintic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anticonvulsant, anticlastogenic, anticarcinogenic, antidiabetic, and antibacterial activity.

Distribution

It is a tropical plant. In Nepal it grows from 700-1200 m altitude. In Indonesia it grows from sea level to 1,700 m above sea level. It grows in open rocky places. It is widespread in the tropics. It needs a temperature above 15-18°C. It can grow in shady, moist soils. It goes to flower in hot summers and with long day-length. In Yunnan.

Where It Grows

Amazon, Andamans, Antilles, Asia, Australia, Bangladesh, Belize, Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, Caribbean, Central America, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba*, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Europe, Fiji, Grenada, Guatemala, Guiana, Guianas, Guyana, Haiti*, Hawaii, Himalayas, Honduras, India, Indochina, Indonesia, Jamaica, Japan, Laos, Lesser Antilles, Liberia, Malaysia, Mexico, Myanmar, Nepal, Nicaragua, North America, Northeastern India, Pacific, Panama, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Sao Tome and Principe, SE Asia, Sikkim, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South America, St Lucia, Suriname, Tasmania, Thailand, Trinidad, USA, Venezuela, Vietnam, West Africa, West Indies*,

Cultivation

Plants are grown from seed. They can also be grown by division of the crown.

Propagation

Seed - best sown as soon as it is ripe, either in situ or in a nursery seedbed. Stem cuttings.

Other Uses

An essential oil can be distilled from the seed; its major constituents are carotol (19%), (E)-'BETA'-farnesene (10%), (E)-anethole (7%) and 'ALFA'-pinene (8%).

Other Information

It is sold in markets. It is sold internationally. It is popular.

Notes

There are 230 Eryngium species.

Nutrition

Synonyms

Also Known As

Accho dhania, Awa phadigom, Ba-khawr, Bahkawr, Bahkhawr, Bakhor, Balang katunchur, Bandhana, Ban dhaniya, Bat nga, Barmeli dhaniya, Belatidhonia, Bilati-dhonepata, Bilta, Bongali gundhora, Brahmadhania, Brahmang ori, Brameli dhaniya, Broad dhaniya, Burmadonia, Chadon benni, Chi barang, Chilankua, Cilantro de espina, Coentro, Culantro, Dhania, Dhania-khlaw, Dhaniya pat, Dunia, Eryngo, Fitweed, Ghanger dundia, Hankeching, Jangali memedhu, Jintenan, Jongali-memedo, Juruju gunong, Kambong kerbau, Kanta dhania, Katumbar londa, Katumbar mungsi, Katuncha walang, Katunchar walanda, Ketumbar jawa, Kiasaura, Kolancho, Kolantro, Krah ksad, Kulandro, Kurandono, Long bia jing, Long coriander, Man dhania, Mandhania, Mountain Coriander, Naga dhania, Ngo gai, Ngo tay, Obo aibihi, Paboma, Pabong, Pa bong men pon, Padaiku, Pak chee farang, Panchi, Pasikhawm, Patikhom, Paung-bok, Perennial Coriander, Phakchee farang, Phak hom pe, Podomosolla, Recao de monte, Sacha culantro, Sampak, Sampap, Samskal, Saw leaf herb, Shadow bennie, Shan-nan-nan, Singa depa, Strankgeyu, Suica culantro, Thai Coriander, Tumbar mungsi, Tumbaran, Vorek jokasu, Walang anjing, Walang duri, Yashou, Yan xu, Yumbi

References (114)

• Aiguo, C. & Zhiling, D., 2001, Managing Agricultural Resources for Biodiversity Conservation. Case Study Yunnan, Southwest China. Environment Liaison Center International. p 41
• Altschul, S.V.R., 1973, Drugs and Foods from Little-known Plants. Notes in Harvard University Herbaria. Harvard Univ. Press. Massachusetts. no. 3136
• Ambasta, S.P. (Ed.), 2000, The Useful Plants of India. CSIR India. p 203
• Anderson, E. F., 1993, Plants and people of the Golden Triangle. Dioscorides Press. p 210
• Bandyopadhyay, S. et al, 2009, Wild edible plants of Koch Bihar district, West Bengal. Natural Products Radiance 8(1) 64-72

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